Semi crashes in downtown Standish

Detours traffic for hours

Marks in the asphalt that are after effects of a semi crash can be seen the day after the crash outside of Brummer Family Dentistry at 116 N. Main in Standish. STANDISH¬—A semi carrying pelleted chicken manure crashed in downtown Standish Tuesday afternoon spilling it at the intersection of N. Main and E. Cedar Streets, and coming inches away from causing major damage to Brummer Family Dentistry at 116 N. Main. Emergency crews also had to cleanup a diesel fuel leak, and a broken snapped light post.

Tom Gates

An awning at Brummer's family dentistry show's how close a semi came to crashing into the building. A semi carrying pelleted chicken manure flipped over spilling diesel and it's cargo outside of the office Tuesday. Police say no one was hurt.

Tom Gates

Police and fire trucks detour traffic Tuesday morning at the intersection of E. Cedar and N. Main in downtown Standish. Emergency crews had to clean up the scene of a semi that flipped over while trying to make the turn at the intersection. The crash spilled pelleted chicken manure, and caused a diesel fuel leak, snapped a light post, and ripped the Brummer's Family Dentistry's office awning. The crash closed down the intersection for just over five hours.

Tom Gates

A Semi carrying trailers full of what is believed to be fertilizer crashed in downtown Standish Thursday afternoon. Traffic was detoured at the time of the accident.

Jeff Patrus

A Semi carrying trailers full of what is believed to be fertilizer crashed in downtown Standish Thursday afternoon. Traffic was detoured at the time of the accident. More information to come.

STANDISH — The city of Standish was just inches away from having to deal with a structural disaster to one of its downtown buildings Tuesday, when a semi flipped over at the intersection of E. Cedar St. and N. Main St. The vehicle came to rest just inches away from hitting Brummer Family Dentistry’s front wall.

The semi also spilled pelleted chicken manure, leaked diesel fuel, and snapped a light post, while ripping the awning that hangs just outside of the office’s front door.

According to Arenac County Sheriff Department Undersheriff Don McIntyre, nobody was injured.

“No one was hurt,” he said about the accident. “It was open for business.”

Dentist Ben Brummer, who owns the office, said that he could feel the ground shake when the truck slammed to the ground.

“The whole building shook,” he said. “I am glad that everyone is OK.”

Brummer also said that the damage to his awning should be covered by his insurance.

“It should be covered by insurance. I haven’t looked at it since the cleanup,” he said Wednesday afternoon. “I think that it was only the awning.”

According to the McIntyre, the accident, which was called in at 11:30 in the morning, happened when the truck tried to turn onto N. Main Street, but failed to make the turn because of the speed the truck was traveling during the attempt.

“The crash was attributed to the driver’s speed when making the turn. The crash is still under investigation,” McIntyre said. “We’re getting assistance from the motorcade division. Charges could be pending.”

The crash, which did detour traffic, was cleaned up around 5 p.m., as emergency crews and Sunrise Towing cleaned up the area.

Robert Schnetzler, who owns The Granton Inn, said that the accident definitely affected business.

“Yes, it’s a holiday week. There was a lot of (onlookers) taking up spots,” he said about the parking behind his restaurant. “The building shook when it happened (and) it happened right at lunch. The sheriff was here by the time I got out there.”

Though an accident is never a good thing, McIntyre said that the department is just glad that it wasn’t any worse.

“A few feet more and we could be in a different position this morning,” he said Wednesday. “Thank God it wasn’t on the holiday weekend.”

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